CHIPMAKERS
TSMC misses revenue target
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) on Monday posted NT$233.91 billion (US$7.63 billion) in revenue for last quarter, missing its revenue target of between NT$236 billion and NT$239 billion. The world’s biggest contract chipmaker attributed the weaker-than-expected performance to a strong New Taiwan dollar. The appreciation of the NT dollar against the greenback caused quarterly revenue to fall by about NT$6 billion, the firm said in a statement. Revenue rose 14.9 percent from NT$203.5 billion in the first quarter of last year.
CHIPMAKERS
Several arrested for theft
US memorychip maker Micron Technology Inc yesterday said prosecutors in Taiwan have been conducting criminal investigations that have resulted in the arrests of several people for alleged theft and misuse of the company’s intellectual property. Micron supports the investigations and has been cooperating fully with authorities, it said. The company said it aggressively protects its intellectual property, and that in the event that an individual or company tries to steal rather than license its technology, it would use all legal and appropriate tools available to prevent, detect and punish such efforts.
SMARTPHONES
Genius reports monthly loss
Genius Electronic Optical Co (玉晶光), which supplies camera lenses for Apple Inc’s iPhones, yesterday said it lost NT$53.26 million in February. That represented losses per share of NT$0.53, a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday showed. Genius was requested to release its earnings, as its shares have surged by about 73 percent since early last month. The company posted NT$314.43 million in net profit for the final quarter of last year, more than triple the same period a year earlier. Earnings per share jumped to NT$3.16. Genius shares yesterday fell 2.66 percent to NT$310.5 in Taipei trading.
DISPLAY MAKERS
Innolux revenue skyrockets
Innolux Corp (群創), the nation’s biggest LCD panel maker, on Monday said revenue last month soared 67.6 percent to NT$31.4 billion, compared with NT$18.71 billion in the same period last year. Monthly revenue rose 14.4 percent from NT$27.41 billion in February. Shipments of PC and TV panels grew 20.5 percent to 102.3 million units from a month earlier. Innloux also reported that its shipments of small and medium-sized panels jumped 37.4 percent monthly to 25.47 million units. Revenue soared 52.5 percent from NT$56.42 billion to NT$86 billion year-on-year, but declined 3.8 percent quarterly, the company said. AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) reported that revenue last month rose 18.2 percent to NT$31.05 billion, compared with NT$26.27 billion in March last year. AUO generated NT$88.56 billion in revenue, up 24.5 percent annually.
ENTERTAINMENT
SNSPlus inks licensing deal
Local game developer and distributor SNSPlus Inc (好玩家) yesterday said it inked a US$1.7 million agreement with Kadokawa Games Ltd to obtain the Japanese company’s game distribution rights in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China. The collaboration will deepen the relationship between the two companies and help expand SNSPlus’ business in Asian markets, SNSPlus said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. SNSPlus said it foresees the Kadokawa distribution rights to benefit its revenue and profitability this year.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, yesterday said its materials management head, Vanessa Lee (李文如), had tendered her resignation for personal reasons. The personnel adjustment takes effect tomorrow, TSMC said in a statement. The latest development came one month after Lee reportedly took leave from the middle of last month. Cliff Hou (侯永清), senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer, is to concurrently take on the role of head of the materials management division, which has been under his supervision, TSMC said. Lee, who joined TSMC in 2022, was appointed senior director of materials management and
Gudeng Precision Industrial Co (家登精密), the sole extreme ultraviolet pod supplier to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), yesterday said it has trimmed its revenue growth target for this year as US tariffs are likely to depress customer demand and weigh on the whole supply chain. Gudeng’s remarks came after the US on Monday notified 14 countries, including Japan and South Korea, of new tariff rates that are set to take effect on Aug. 1. Taiwan is still negotiating for a rate lower than the 32 percent “reciprocal” tariffs announced by the US in April, which it later postponed to today. The
MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR: Revenue from AI servers made up more than 50 percent of Wistron’s total server revenue in the second quarter, the company said Wistron Corp (緯創) on Tuesday reported a 135.6 percent year-on-year surge in revenue for last month, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers, with the momentum expected to extend into the third quarter. Revenue last month reached NT$209.18 billion (US$7.2 billion), a record high for June, bringing second-quarter revenue to NT$551.29 billion, a 129.47 percent annual increase, the company said. Revenue in the first half of the year totaled NT$897.77 billion, up 87.36 percent from a year earlier and also a record high for the period, it said. The company remains cautiously optimistic about AI server shipments in the third quarter,
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Thursday met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, days before a planned trip to China by the head of the world’s most valuable chipmaker, people familiar with the matter said. Details of what the two men discussed were not immediately available, and the people familiar with the meeting declined to elaborate on the agenda. Spokespeople for the White House had no immediate comment. Nvidia declined to comment. Nvidia’s CEO has been vocal about the need for US companies to access the world’s largest semiconductor market and is a frequent visitor to China.
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